Journalist Shamsul Alam Belal laid to rest

Former city editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha Shamsul Alam Bhuiyan, who passed away on Monday morning, was laid to rest at the family graveyard in Ludiara village in Chauddagram of Cumilla in the afternoon.

Before the burial, a namaz-e-janaza of Shamsul Alam Bhuiyan, popularly known as Shamsul Alam Belal, was held after Asr prayers at Ludiara Jame Mosque.

Local political leaders, journalists and people from different strata of life attended the janaza.

After the janaza, he was buried beside the graves of his parents, said Belal's nephew Mahfuz Rahman.

Earlier, journalists and journalists' organisations paid glowing tributes to Belal as his body was taken to the Natiaonal Press Club where his first namaz-e-janaza was held in the morning.

Later, tribute was paid to Belalby the Press Club, BFUJ, Dhaka Union of Journalists and Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

Belal was admitted to the Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital on February 5 with breathing problems where he breathed his last early hours of today following a cardiac arrest at the age of 63, family sources said.

He is survived by wife and two daughters.

Belal, a career journalist, joined BSS in 1981 and went on retirement in 2020.

He also worked as the Dhaka-based correspondents of 12 international media outlets and wrote columns in several leading English newspapers in Bangladesh regularly.

Belal was also a founding member of Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) and Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF).

Prior to joining BSS, Belal worked as an assistant film director and also acted on stage.

He was an ardent follower and practitioner of Bengali and Indian classical music and also sang in Bangla, Urdu and Hindi on stage.

Belal authored different books including "The Silver Line in My Memory," "United States, Russia, China, Israel, India and the Muslim World," "Bangladesh: From Ancient Age to Modern Era," "Jatir Pitar Samadhite O Anyanya Kabita," and "South Asia: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow".